


Smorboll

by tinyarmedtrex



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, IKEA, M/M, bed shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 17:42:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16269182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyarmedtrex/pseuds/tinyarmedtrex
Summary: Prompt: Eddie having trouble looking for furniture at Ikea and Richie works there





	Smorboll

“No Bev, I’ll be fine. I just need a new bed.” Eddie said, stepping onto the escalator.  “How hard can it be?” He turned to glare as he was jostled from behind. “No I didn’t look before, why would I need to do that?” He asked as he rode the escalator. He tried to read her silence but then the displays came into view and he understood. “Holy fuck. Bev, there are whole rooms here.” He paused as his friend laughed. “Yes I know you told me but I didn’t believe you. It sounded insane.” He looked around, starting to quietly freak out.  He tried to keep his voice even as he asked, “Bev, what do I do? How do I do this?” He stepped off the escalator, moving aside for others, and looked around with no small amount of horror on his face. Bev just cackled and told him he was on his own, then hung up. 

Eddie gulped.  This was what Ikea was like? He had heard that it could be overwhelming but he had expected it to be like any other store, with some display models and lots of empty space. He now understood why Bev told him not to go on a Saturday. He knew it would be busy but this, this was pure chaos. There were families all over, trying to wrangle kids, teens who looked like they were just there to hang out, older couples stopped in the middle of the aisle. The disorganization and pandemonium terrified him and he felt his chest tighten as people filtered past him, jostling him. 

Breathe, He told himself, trying to hold off the panic attack he felt coming. Just breathe. Maybe he could just leave and come back another day, he thought as he watched a child rub their chocolate-stained hands over a white dresser. Maybe a Monday morning. When none of these people would be here. 

Eddie had decided he would do that when the panic started to rise again- how the hell did you leave this place? He couldn’t see an exit. The escalator only went up. He felt trapped in this terrible consumer carnival. 

He could feel his breaths coming in quick pants and wished he had his inhaler. He didn’t need it, he knew that but part of him still wanted to reach for it, to feel the cool medicine pump into his throat. It would calm him down. 

No, he told himself sternly. Just take deep breaths and work out a solution. Just like Doctor Jones always tells you. It’s a crutch. He turned and closed his eyes, focusing on breathing and nothing else. 

He yelped in surprise as a hand covered his shoulder and someone asked, “Hey there short stack, do you need some help?” 

Eddie spun, ready to yell at them but was met by a friendly, goofy face. The hand belonged to a tall stranger with unruly red hair that clashed terribly with his yellow employee shirt. 

“I’ll be fine, I just need to find the exit,” Eddie said, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. Other days he might be willing to talk to him but right now, he wanted to leave. 

“But you just got here.” The man said. “You must be shopping for something, let me help you.”

“No thanks-” He read the name tag. “Richie. I’ll come back another day.” 

“But what if I’m not here then and you miss out on getting to know your soulmate?”

Eddie scowled at that, running a hand through his blond hair. His panic was lessening as his annoyance level raised.  “Soulmate huh? That’s awfully presumptive of you, especially since you don’t even know my name.” 

“I’ll learn it as we shop for a-” He paused, waiting for Eddie to fill in the gap. He spun his hand around, trying to get him to finish the sentence. 

Eddie relented. “Bed.”

A grin spread across Richie’s face, “Oh, that’s fucking perfect. Okay, shorty, let me bed you.” He took Eddie’s hand and started walking.

“Don’t call me that, just because you’re a giant.” He said, feeling a flush spread on his face. He wasn't used to people casually touching him. 

“What is your name then? Unless you want me to keep gracing you with adorable nicknames.”

“Eddie, I’m Eddie.” He said, realizing that they were weaving through the crowd at a breakneck pace. “Does every customer get this kind of treatment?”

Richie turned to look at him, shaking his head. “Only the cute ones,” He said, winking before turning back.

Eddie had to admit, he was impressed by Richie’s ability to bob and weave through the crowd, he seemed to know just where to step and when, avoiding collisions with couples and parents readying to send their teens to college. Once or twice, they stopped to answer questions, Richie directing people with ease and using both hands- while still holding Eddie’s- to gesture and explain things. It made Eddie laugh when Richie tried to explain how to find the kitchen section and he used Eddie’s hand to emphasize just how far off base the couple was. 

When Richie wasn’t being stopped by customers he was firing questions at Eddie. “What kind of bed do you want?” 

Eddie shrugged, “Something simple, I was thinking a black frame.” 

“Black, sleek, sexy. I like it. But that’s not what I meant. What size? Are you looking for a king so you can spread out, or a full so you can cuddle with your boyfriend?” Richie paused abruptly, turning to look at Eddie. 

Who nearly ran into him. “A queen. And, no boyfriend.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling Richie this but he wanted him to know, not just because he had helped stave off Eddie’s panic attack. Being with Richie was weirdly calming, he liked having someone guide him through the store and laughing with him at the store’s quirks. 

“I’m very happy to hear that,” Richie said, giving him another quirky smile then gesturing in front of him. “Bed land my good sir.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, he hadn’t even realized they were here. “That's, a lot of options.” He said, staring at the variety of beds in front of him.

“That’s what we do,” Richie said, taking his hand back and planting his hands on his hips. “Now that we’re here, let’s talk about a few things. What kind of frame are you thinking? Sleek? Fancy? Cushioned? Do you want drawers?”

“I-” Eddie looked at the variety of frames again and starting to feel overwhelmed. “I have no idea.” 

“We’ll test,” Richie said, gesturing to the first bed. “This baby is a Neiden.” Richie pointed to a simple bed frame with a small headboard. “Classic design, inexpensive.” He laid down and patted next to him.

Eddie reluctantly crawled beside him, trying not to think about how many other people had laid in this bed. 

“Thoughts?” Richie asked, flipping to his side and looking at Eddie. 

This is how it would look if I woke up next to him, Eddie thought, watching as Richie’s curls flopped onto his face. He nearly reached out and tucked it behind his ear, barely stopping himself. 

“Too simple, isn't it? You seem like a fancy guy.” Richie said, leaping up before Eddie could answer.

Eddie stood and followed. Richie was right, he wanted to buy his first adult bed. Not something that felt like it belonged in a dorm. 

“Let’s try this bad boy, our snefjord model,” Richie said, flopping onto a bed with a cushioned headboard. He knocked on it. “A sound barrier for your louder nights, no bugging roommates with this.” He said as Eddie laid down. 

“I don't have any roommates,” Eddie said, turning his head to look at Richie. 

“Solo man, huh? I like it.” Richie stretched and Eddie caught a glimpse of the pale skin on Richie’s stomach. “I’ve got a roommate but he’s cool, he’s at his boyfriend’s a lot.”

“His boyfriend’s?” Eddie asked. 

Richie nodded. “Stan my man finally nabbed his college crush, took nearly 6 months of shoving them together but now they’re inseparable.” 

“Cute,” Eddie said, slightly jealous of someone he didn’t even know. Eddie was sick of the dating scene, he wished he had something like that, something effortless.   
“Sure, if you don’t mind them sucking face whenever you walk into a room.” Richie sat up, looking around the room. “Tell me what your bedroom looks like Eds, I need some inspiration.”

Eddie sat up too. “You’re very forward.” 

The other man shrugged, “I don’t think you mind.”  
Eddie didn’t but he wasn’t about to tell Richie that. Instead, he answered the question. “I painted one blue accent wall, the rest is white. I’ve got black furniture. It’s pretty plain.”

Richie nodded, scanning the room. “Any pictures?”

“A framed Audrey Hepburn a friend gave me.” 

“Classy.” Richie leapt off and went to another bed, not checking if Eddie was following. 

He did. Eddie already had a feeling that he’d follow Richie most places. It was strange, Eddie wasn’t a trusting person but he already trusted Richie, in his terrible yellow shirt and ripped jeans. 

Richie fell onto another bed, with a white metal frame and an elaborate headboard. “This baby will impress all the guests. Look at this craftsmanship.” Richie said, knocking on the metal, making it clang loudly. 

Eddie didn’t lie down this time, shaking his head. “I don’t like this one at all.” It was too frilly for him. He had spent his life being called girly and frail, he didn’t want that in a bed. 

Richie threw his legs over the sides and sat up, grinning at Eddie. “Finally! An opinion emerges from the dark! I thought you’d be someone with lots of opinions. Tell me what you want,” Richie asked again. 

Eddie looked at the sea of beds and found one he liked. He wandered over to it, Richie following him. It was a black wooden frame with vertical planks as the headboard. “I like this,” Eddie said, running his hands over it. “Sleek, not too fancy, looks like an adult’s bed.” 

Richie nodded approvingly. “A Hemnes, very nice.” He ran his hand over it too, stopping near Eddie’s and leaning over him. “The best part is that these boards work great for handcuffs.” He whispered into Eddie’s ear. 

Eddie swallowed, feeling Richie’s warm body next to his. “Is that something you’re interested in?” Richie continued.

Eddie turned to look at Richie, smiling slightly. “That’s not really an employee-customer question.”

“Is that all we are, employee and customer?” Richie asked, pretending to be hurt. 

Eddie shrugged, smiling a little. “You tell me.” 

Richie took the half pencil from Eddie and wrote something down, sticking the paper and pencil in Eddie’s pocket. “The bed number, for later,” He explained, taking Eddie’s hand again. “Now, if you’re interested, we dine.”

“Dine?” Eddie asked, willingly following Richie this time.

“All will be explained in good time my tiny Timberlake.”

“Timberlake?” Eddie asked.

“You’ve got moves, I can tell. And you’re a sharp dressed man.” Richie explained as they wove through dressers and kitchen countertops. 

“You are unlike anyone I’ve met,” Eddie said, slightly under his breath.

“They broke the mold when they made me,” Richie told him, stopping so abruptly that Eddie ran into his back. “Ta-da!” Richie said, sweeping his arm across what looked, to Eddie, like a school cafeteria.

“Wow, I’m-” He paused. “Underwhelmed.” 

Richie turned to him, shaking his head. “You’re such an Ikea virgin. Come on, let’s get you some delicious meatballs.” Richie turned and grabbed a tray, falling into one of the lines. 

“I’m not really a ball guy,” Eddie said, grabbing a tray for himself.

Richie barked out a laugh. “Eds gets off a good one! But you’ll like these balls, they come in vegetarian too. All your ball preferences are covered.” 

“That’s not my name,” Eddie said, looking up at the menu choices. “What’s safe to eat?”

“I’m ordering, don’t worry,” Richie said, turning to the employee and rattling off a long order. 

Within five minutes they were sitting down. “You ordered way too much,” Eddie said, looking at all the food.

“You gotta try everything. Can’t have you thinking I’m cheap on a first date.” Richie explained, spearing a portion of a meatball on his fork and dipping it in the cranberry sauce. “Open wide for my balls Eds.”

“You’re really enjoying these ball jokes huh?” Eddie said and Richie nodded. He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, not missing how Richie’s eyes trained on his lips.

Eddie’s mouth closed around the bit and he chewed slowly, Richie watching him the whole time. “Well?”

Eddie swallowed and nodded. “It’s pretty good actually.”  He picked up his fork and took some of the mashed potatoes, eating those. “It’s all good.”

Richie grinned. “Wait until you try the cake.” 

They ate, Richie telling Eddie about working at Ikea and Eddie telling Richie about his job. It was the best, if weirdest, first date Eddie had had in a while.

Eventually, Eddie looked down at his watch, shocked to see how much time had passed. “I need to go, I’m meeting friends for dinner. And you probably need to get back to work.”

Richie shrugged as he stood, moving to put the trays away. “My shift ended an hour ago.”

Eddie came to a full stop. “Why were you helping me then?” 

“You looked mid-panic attack. I know how that goes. I couldn't just leave you.” Richie shrugged, then he smiled. “Plus, you’re pretty damn cute.” 

Eddie smiled at him. “Well, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you. And thanks for lunch.” He was reeling from the fact that Richie had stayed late, just for him. 

“Think of me when you see balls.” Richie winked and turned, starting to walk away. 

Eddie gaped at him for a minute before catching up with him, putting a hand on Richie’s shoulder and making him turn. “What are you doing?” Eddie asked, annoyed. “All that and you’re not going to give me your number? Or ask for mine?” He crossed his arms. 

Richie poked Eddie’s breast pocket. “What do you think I wrote down there? It’s the number for the bed, and for me.”  

“Oh,” Eddie looked down, feeling a little silly. “I was worried that-”

Richie bent down and pressed his lips to Eddie’s, just briefly before pulling back and grinning. “Don’t worry, I’ll be around to help you break that bed in.” 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”  

Richie smirked, “I never do.” 

**Author's Note:**

> SMÖRBOLL - means “butter ball” but refers to a lovely yellow-flowering plant, the globeflower. Also a bedding/duvet cover at ikea. I thought it was a cute title! 
> 
> You can send a prompt in to the reddie library [here](https://reddielibrary.tumblr.com/) or talk to me on tumblr [here](https://tinyarmedtrex.tumblr.com/)


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